Diapycnal Mixing in a Coastal Regime - AESOP
Abstract
The long term goals are to identify the major processes producing mixing in the upper ocean and to understand their dynamics sufficiently well to permit accurate parameterization of mixing for use in numerical models. These measurements during August 2006 were the first attempt we know of to survey a coastal domain with sufficient coverage to assess how mixing levels vary across the domain. Previous measurements have been concentrated in sub-regions, often revealing particular mixing processes, but insufficient to represent mixing throughout a regional model. We ran lines of microstructure profiles 5-10 km long (Fig. 1), balancing needs for rapid temporal sampling against spatial windows containing at least some structure. Staying with each line for 12.5 hours resolved changes produced by the M2 twice-daily tide, and some lines were rerun at different phases of the monthly tide. As we began to understand patterns of tidal currents and mixing, the original set of lines was modified to reveal pulsing of water in and out of the large canyon splitting the bay down its middle. Powerful Doppler sonars installed on R/V Revelle by Rob Pinkel at Scripps, provided excellent velocity records, supplemented by a 300 kHz ADCP we installed on the bottom the bay?s southern half.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA526715
Entities
People
- Michael C. Gregg
Organizations
- University of Washington